Last week, our “Car Buy of the Year,” Top-10 list focused on the “best bang for the buck,” with the 2018 Hyundai Kona winning top honors. This week, we present our “Car of the Year” list, in which we concentrate on the best car, truck, crossover or SUV and what it delivers, regardless of price – just the pure vehicle – and how it feels to be behind the wheel.

For our 14th annual Car of the Year list, we see new models, sports-luxury cars, iconically badged SUVs, legendary sports cars, nostalgic muscle cars, Eurocars, sporty sedans, a luxury sedan and even an econo-compact SUV.

My rules: To make this list, I must have test driven the car in calendar 2018 and it must have stood out from the pack, surprised me, impressed me, and satisfied the “car guy” in me, as well as amaze any passengers or onlookers who rode in or saw the vehicle.

I test drove 54 different vehicles this year, and after a weeklong (in most cases) assessment as a daily driver and/or track car, I graded each ride in the following categories: Interior; Safety; Power; Handling/Ride; Economy/Price; Looks; Niche-fitting and a Miscellaneous grouping in which I took into consideration the “feel-good” factor and other intangibles. Each category had its own integrity and encompassed such items as driver intuitiveness, comfort, easy-to-read instrumentation, quietness and ease of surroundings. In each category I award from zero to 10 points (10 being perfect)..

Last year, a Lexus LC 500 luxury Coupe won the title, and this year, an all-new mid-size luxury sedan from a traditionally non-luxury badge combined elegance and power, performance and grace to take the crown. Prices reflect sticker-as-tested.

No. 1 Kia Stinger: Dynamic new sports car combines athleticism and luxury -- $53,255

Kia has come a long way, and with the all-new 2018 Kia Stinger, the manufacturer has entered the mid-size luxury four-door sports car segment debuting an athletic, bold, adventurous performance car with luxurious accommodations. From its sleek front clip through its graceful sides and slender shoulders, Stinger exudes a muscular confidence. Inside, Stinger exudes an aircraft-like feel filled with upscale accouterments. It is powered by a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 with 365 hp and 376 lbs-ft. and it blazed a 4.7-second zero-to-60mph dash and a 13.2-second quarter-mile. My test Stinger GT2 averaged 22.0mpg in mixed-use driving, and exhibited solid sportscar exuberance, acceleration and handling.

No. 2 Jaguar E-Pace: Compact luxury SUV with the look and feel of a ‘Cat -- $55,110

An all-new compact-luxury crossover with a Catlike look indicative of  its Jaguar DNA, E-Pace packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle with SUV practicality. E-Pace features a four-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine that delivers 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. At the track, I zipped from zero-to-60mph in an impressive 6 seconds flat during a 14.5-second quarter-mile. My mixed-use tests averaged 23.3 mpg.

No. 3 Corvette Grand Sport: Blazing hot and super cool on highway or track -- $82,715

Finishing third for the second straight year, the Corvette Grand Sport borrows from Stingray design cues with a touch of Z06, including the front grille and wider rear fenders, which give it an aggressive stance and a wide track. High tech and luxurious inside, performance is key as the 6.2-liter V-8 roars out 460hp and 465 lb-ft of torque and rocketed to a 3.9-second zero-to-60mph sprint and 12.3-second quarter-mile. My tests averaged 16.3 mpg.

No. 4 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1: Historically powerful, hot and fast -- $72,515

The most powerful Camaro ever, and highest hp on this list, my 2018 Camaro ZL1 and its 650 horses/650 lb-ft of torque blazed the dash in 3.4 seconds (hand-timed), and finished off a quarter-mile in 11.4 seconds. Traditional Camaro styling lives on with a muscular and sporty architecture, sculpted creases, a proud undergrille, a low and wide stance and enhanced interior packed with infotainment. Camaro’s structure and balance was race-car precise.

No. 5 Ford Mustang GT: More Pony Power and enhanced  exterior and tech -- $45,875

Also last week’s No. 7 CAR BUY of the YEAR, the Ford Mustang GT has tweaked up with a sleek new design, more advanced tech and improved performance enhancements. The 5.0-liter V-8 provides 460hp and 420 lb-ft and can be mated to 10-speed transmission. On the highway, you have ground-hugging stickiness and cornering confidence. Muscular and attentive, I dashed from zero to 60mph in 4.7 seconds during a 13.3-second quarter-mile, and I averaged 18.2mpg in mixed-use tests.

No. 6 Volvo XC60: Full redesign, new safety suite for premium mid-sized SUV -- $52,070

Volvo XC60 has been completely redesigned for 2018. XC60 keys in on safety with Volvo’s ground-breaking City Safety system, and there’s enhanced driver infotainment, a new exterior and new CleanZone four-zone climate system that removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside to deliver fresh air on the inside. Its 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that provides 250hp and 258 lb-ft of torque got me 22.2 mpg and finished off a sprint in 6.9 seconds and a quarter-mile in 15.3.

No. 7 Toyota Camry: Midsize family sedan evolves with sportscar tendencies  -- $38,017

The all-new eighth-generation Toyota Camry is an established mid-size family sedan that has turned into a sports car … of sorts. Redesigned with a sporty and upscale image both inside and out, and longer, wider and closer to the ground for increased ride dynamics, its 3.5-liter engine is rated at 301hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. A zero-to-60mph dash was accomplished in a smooth 5.8 seconds during a 14.4-second quarter-mile. Fuelwise, I averaged 26.7mpg in mixed-use tests.

No. 8 Hyundai Kona: Sub-Compact CUV marketed to youthful driver-adventurers -- $29,805

The lowest-priced and lowest-hp vehicle on this week’s list was also last week’s No. 1 CAR BUY of the YEAR. Hyundai has targeted youthful “urban adventurers” with its all-new sub-compact crossover utility vehicle, the 2018 Hyundai Kona. With aggressive body styling, a sporty demeanor, top-of-the-line safety technology and advanced infotainment features in a compact footprint, Kona handles well and its 1.6-liter turbo generates 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque for an average of 26.7 mpg.

No. 9 Dodge Charger: America loves its muscle, then and now -- $41,500

Drawing on cues from the historic 1969 model, Dodge Charger is America’s only four-door muscle car and the sales leader in the large car segment for five years running. This year’s model gets new cosmetics, interior upgrades, wheel packages and colors on various models. The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 that powered my R/T trim Charger stampedes out 370 horses and 395 lbs-ft of torque, averaged 22.2mpg and completed a zero-to-60mph sprint in 6 seconds during a 14.4-second quarter-mile.

No.10 Buick Regal GS: More powerful, sportier and upgraded cabin -- $44,255

Buick has gone all-new with Regal in 2018, with a sleek, sporty design increased horsepower, an upgraded cabin and advanced infotainment. Buick offers a sculptured Euro-sportiness with aggressive front and rear fascias, unique GS-specific cabin additions, and an aluminum 3.6-liter direct injection V- 6m rated at 310hp and 282 lb-ft of torque. My week of mixed-use tests yielded an average of 20.7mpg and my zero-to-60mph time was 5.5 seconds during a 14.5-second-flat quarter-mile.

Next week we begin coverage of the 2019s, and we start learning about next year’s best cars.

Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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